US Federal 2025-2026 Regular Session

US Federal Senate Bill SB207

Introduced
1/23/25  

Caption

Protecting Life on College Campus Act of 2025This bill prohibits the award of federal funds to an institution of higher education (IHE) that hosts or is affiliated with a school-based service site that provides abortion drugs or abortions to its students or to employees of the IHE or the site. An IHE that hosts or is affiliated with a site must, in order to remain eligible for federal funds, annually certify that the site does not provide abortion drugs or abortions to students or employees.

Impact

If enacted, the bill would significantly affect institutions of higher education across the country, as many rely on federal funding for operational costs. These institutions would be required to confirm that they do not provide abortion services, thereby potentially restricting their health service offerings. The annual reporting requirement to the Secretary of Education and Secretary of Health and Human Services adds a bureaucratic layer that institutions would need to navigate, raising concerns about how this may limit the resources available to students who require reproductive health services.

Summary

SB207, known as the 'Protecting Life on College Campus Act of 2025,' proposes to prohibit the distribution of federal funds to any institution of higher education that is affiliated with a service site providing abortion drugs or procedures to students or employees. The bill seeks to ensure that institutions that receive federal support do not facilitate access to abortion services, essentially mandating compliance to specific anti-abortion standards to retain their funding. This aligns with ongoing national debates surrounding reproductive rights and funding for educational institutions.

Contention

Key points of contention surrounding SB207 will likely focus on debates about women's reproductive rights and autonomy. Opponents may argue that the bill infringes on institutional freedoms and limits students' access to comprehensive health care, including necessary reproductive services. They might view the bill as an attempt to impose political ideology on educational environments. Conversely, supporters argue that the bill protects the sanctity of life and aligns educational institutions with their moral and ethical stances on abortion. The overarching conflict lies in balancing federal regulations with state-level decisions on education and healthcare services.

Congress_id

119-S-207

Policy_area

Education

Introduced_date

2025-01-23

Companion Bills

US HB632

Related bill Protecting Life on College Campus Act of 2025

Previously Filed As

US SB125

End Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Providers ActThis bill prohibits federal funding for entities, or their affiliates, that perform abortions, provide referrals for abortions, or provide funding to others that perform abortions. It provides exceptions for abortions (1) in the case of rape or incest, or (2) when a physician certifies there is a danger of death to the woman without an abortion. The bill’s prohibition applies to any federal statutory law adopted after the bill’s effective date, unless such law contains an explicit exemption. 

US HB979

Medicaid; exclude from participation any providers that perform or are affiliated with performance of abortions.

US HB2382

Relating to funding services for pregnant persons other than types of abortions on which federal moneys may not be spent; providing that this Act shall be referred to the people for their approval or rejection.

US A09198

Enacts the "life appropriation act" prohibiting state funding for abortions and related costs; regulates abortions and prohibits dismemberment abortions.

US HB1962

Prohibiting State agencies from providing funding and contracting with a person who provides or is affiliated with another person who provides abortion-related activities; requiring a person enrolled in a medical assistance program to attest that the person is not engaging in abortion-related activities; and imposing duties on the Department of Human Services.

US S07961

Designates campuses which are operated by the state university of New York with at least sixteen thousand enrolled students and an on campus dormitory as early voting sites and polling sites; provides that such designation requirements shall not apply where an early voting site or polling site is already designated within one mile of the geographic boundaries of such campus.

US A02554

Designates campuses which are operated by the state university of New York with at least sixteen thousand enrolled students and an on campus dormitory as early voting sites and polling sites; provides that such designation requirements shall not apply where an early voting site or polling site is already designated within one mile of the geographic boundaries of such campus.

US HB455

Protecting Higher Education from Foreign Threats Act This bill prohibits an institution of higher education (IHE) from receiving federal funds for an award year in which the IHE employs an instructor who, while employed at the IHE and providing direct instruction to students, received funds from the Chinese Community Party. An IHE may regain eligibility for federal funds by demonstrating to the Department of Education that it no longer employs such instructor.

US HB719

No Abortion Coverage for Medicaid ActThis bill prohibits the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services from approving experimental, pilot, or demonstration projects under Medicaid (also known as Section 1115 Demonstrations) if the project provides federal financial assistance for abortions or for health benefits that include abortions, including expenses for related travel or lodging.The bill's restrictions do not apply to abortions in the cases of rape or incest; treatments to address life-threatening physical disorders, injuries, or illnesses; or treatments for miscarriages or ectopic pregnancies.

US HB422

No Subsidies for Wealthy Universities ActThis bill limits the indirect costs that are allowable under federal research awards to institutions of higher education (IHEs) with endowments above specified thresholds. (Generally, indirect costs represent expenses that are not specific to a research project but are needed to maintain the infrastructure and administrative support for federally funded research.)Specifically, the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) must annually collect information regarding the endowments of each IHE that has entered into a program participation agreement with the Department of Education.With this collected information, NCES must identify and make lists of (1) each IHE with an endowment of more than $5 billion, and (2) each IHE with an endowment of more than $2 billion (but not more than $5 billion). NCES must submit these lists to the Office of Management and Budget, which must then distribute the lists to federal agencies, Congress, and the public.The bill establishes the following limits on the indirect costs allowable under federal research awards:for an IHE with an endowment of more than $5 billion, the IHE is prohibited from using these awards for indirect costs;for an IHE with an endowment of more than $2 billion (but not more than $5 billion), the IHE is limited to an indirect cost rate of 8%; andfor all other IHEs, an indirect cost rate of 15%.The Government Accountability Office must annually report to Congress on indirect cost reimbursement on federal research awards for IHEs.

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